Saudi Arabia Eases COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions

Saudi Arabia announced the easing of restrictions that have disrupted most of the country's operation as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Sunday 31 May, all areas of the kingdom, except Makkah, will be eased by the curfew. Movement in cities and regions of the country will be allowed again, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The easing will mean that the Kingdom's 24-hour lockdown will be relaxed with a curfew from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m. until Sunday, after which the hours will change to 8 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Makkah will stay under full 24-hour lockdown.

On June 21, all curfews in the Kingdom will be lifted and prayers at the Makkah Mosque will be permitted.

Before then, social distancing guidelines must continue to be adhered to and gatherings of more than 50 people will continue to be banned.

Authorities have also enabled the involvement of departments, government entities and private sector firms and the restoration of their official operations.

Any economic and business operations, including those in wholesale and retail markets, as well as restaurants, may still be permitted to take place. Cafes will be allowed to operate again.

However, all job sectors where social distancing rules are harder to achieve such as beauty salons, barbershops, sports and health clubs, recreational centers, and cinemas will remain closed.

Umrah pilgrimage and international flights will continue to be suspended until further notice.

The new rules are subject to constant evaluation at the health ministry and can be changed if the situation warrants it.

Earlier, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, the health minister, said: “The phases start gradually until we return to normalcy, with its new concept based on social distancing.” 

He added that the precautionary steps taken by the Kingdom early in the outbreak helped to limit the spread of the virus. 

Now, he said, the Ministry has developed a plan for the next phase that relies on two main factors: the ability of the health care system to cope with critical cases, and the expansion of testing to identify new infections as soon as possible.

Reassuring the Saudi nation on Monday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: “The bad conditions will pass, God willing, and we are heading toward the good, God willing.” 

The Kingdom recorded 2,235 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, totalling 74,795, and the death toll increased by 9 to 399. More than 5.5 million people have been infected with the infection globally and about 350,000 have died.

Source: ARAB NEWS